Boy, 15, on sexual assault charges
8:55am Thursday 9th September 2010 in News
A TEENAGE boy sexually assaulted two women in public within 15 minutes, a court heard.
One of the women was walking with a child in a buggy when the 15-year-old pushed her to the ground and attempted to rape her, but she managed to escape, Bolton Crown Court was told.
On the other occasion, the boy tapped a woman on the shoulder and asked her to perform a sex act on him, but was disturbed by a passerby and ran off.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies two counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape.
Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, told the jury the incidents happened just 150 metres apart and within 15 minutes of each other.
He said: “The victims in this case were unsuspecting members of the public going about their lawful business just walking in the street and they were pursued by an offender whose method was unusual and distinct.”
The court heard the first incident happened at 5.45pm on May 13 last year, when a woman in her 20s was walking in Minerva Road, Farnworth. A boy followed her and tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to perform a sex act on him, but a passerby approached and he ran off.
The second incident happened at about 6pm as the victim was walking towards Freshfield Avenue, which Mr Bassano said was “just a stone’s throw away”
from the first.
The woman, also in her 20s, had just left the hospital and realised a man was following her.
He asked her to perform a sex act on him, grabbed her by the arm and pushed her to the ground but she managed to escape.
The boy denies the offences and said he was with a friend at the time of the incidents.
The trial continues.
